Progressive Views on the News

December 24, 2008

‘Tis the Season to be Preachy

I’ve been thinking of a way to comment on Nancy’s beautiful post yesterday and here is what I want to say: live for love, not for money. Of course money is important, we all need a certain amount of it. But get your gratification, your jollies if you will, from showing your love to your family, your friends, your community.

Live for love. Live for the moment when you study your child’s face and realize that her look of excitement, of curiosity, is your look as well, or a blend of yours and your partner’s. And it’s a magnificent look.

Live for love. If you have the option of buying a bigger house because of the housing downturn and the amount you’ve been able to pay off your mortgage, consider the option carefully. If you opt to do it, know that you may be tying yourself down with more financial obligation than you may want to deal with in a down economy.

Live for love. Value the connections you have in the community, whether they be at church, at school, at home or at work. Don’t be too quick to put aside your own relationships in favor of someone else’s agenda.

Live for love. Don’t give up on those really hard relationships. Or, give up on a few of them, but make an extra effort to save a few of them from the abyss.

Live for love. Do comparison shopping to get a decent price, but don’t become petty. Honor your financial commitments and your time commitments to the things you hold dear.

Live for love. If you love music, find time to experience the music you love. If you love blogs, find time to experience the best of them.

Live for love. We have a way of thinking that we are worth X amount and not a dollar less. It can lock us into certain things. Think less about your net worth and more about meeting your daily nutritional and emotional needs. Your long-term net worth will be better for it.

Live for love. Be merry with it, be mad with it. Air your grievances with the world, but also share your gratitude. We all need both the carrot and the stick to stay on our paths to social justice and inner peace.

Live for love. Be like Little Bear, who keeps thinking he needs to put on more winter clothes to be warm until he realizes that — hey, I’m a bear! I was born with a winter coat! Recognize the spirit that dwells within you. Honor and express it.

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3 thoughts on “‘Tis the Season to be Preachy”

I couldn’t agree more.After you have a certain amount of money,and don’t need to worry about paying the bills and maybe have something left for discretionary spending,how much more do you need to spend time amassing more to the exclusion of the non-monetary rewards of life?
If ever been close to death,you realize real quick money isn’t the be all and end all.If you lose someone you love,nothing can ever make it right.Money certainly can’t.
enough gloominess-Mery Christmas!!.